The cold chain — the temperature-controlled supply chain that’s required to help ensure the safety and extended shelf life of products, such as produce, frozen food, meat, and seafood — is vital to human health. Increasing regulations — most notably the Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act — have brought a renewed focus to food safety and the crucial role refrigeration plays in it.
That growing importance was highlighted in June as the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) for the first time held its expo as a separate entity co-located with the Food Marketing Institute’s (FMI’s) Connect Expo and the United Fresh show.